Busman's Holiday
by horacethepig
Summary: There are magic items throughout muggle Britain, which periodically must have security charms renewed. Harry, Ron and Hermione are asked to take Ginny and the children on a tour to do so. Inviting the three most prominent wizards in Britain, however, might just be a mistake... This story takes place in the Storyverse established in 'Storybrooke 90" and "Storybrooke and Amazons".
1. Prologue: A Working Vacation

Rights to Harry Potter are held by JK Rowling. Those to The Dark Is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper. Those to The Chronicles of Narnia by the Estate of CS Lewis. Joe 90 is owned by the estate of the late Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson, ITC, etc. Rights to other franchises used are owned by: Marvel Comics; DC Comics; Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, NOW Comics/Moonstone Books; the BBC; JK Rowling; Jim Butcher; Charles Addams; Terrance Dicks; Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill; Michael Moorcock; the estates of Arthur Conan Doyle, E.W. Hornung, Agatha Christie, William Hope Hodgson, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Ian Fleming, Peter O'Donnell, Malcolm Saville, Enid Blyton, and Anthony Buckeridge; amongst others. This is a non-profit attempt to play with favourite franchises.

Late-July 2016

"Good morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione."

"Good morning, Kingsley!" they chorused. Ron, then, typically got straight to the point. "What is the problem? You don't summon the three of us to your office to talk about the weather!"

"Of course not, Ron. The three of you and your friends and family have revolutionised the way our society runs. Your friends in the mutant, meta-human, alien and less _mundane_ elements of muggle society have allowed us to have friendly contacts with some very useful allies. Indeed, the White Council has upgraded us from "Failing" to "Excellent" over the last few years and says we are on course for an "Outstanding".

"There are, however, some tasks in hand. What do you know of the Trewissick Grail? The yellow and green Ketterley rings?"

Hermione frowned. "The grail is a chalice discovered in the Cornish fishing village of Trewissick by three children named Drew and an archaeologist called Merriman Lyon in the 1960s or 70s. It is currently held in the British Museum. There was some speculation linking it to Romano-Celtic times, more specifically to the Arthurian period.

"Regarding the rings, they were found in the ruins of a London railway platform in the 1940s. A train had derailed onto the platform, killing dozens. Someone named Susan Pevensie claimed them after her parents, brothers, sister and one of her cousins were all killed in the tragedy. A couple of the excavation team vanished and had to be recovered from, well, another _dimension_. Somewhere Ms. Pevensie called the 'Wood Between the Worlds'? A man named Andrew Ketterley was said to have made the rings, which allowed people from this world to visit a place called 'Narnia'. Ms. Pevensie donated them to a small museum in London."

"Correct in both instances, Hermione, as always!" Kingsley replied nodding. "These and other such items seem to have some magical traces, albeit not our variety of magic, nor Dr. Strange's, Ms. Zatara's or Ms. Mills'. We like to keep an eye on them periodically, to ensure none of our dark witches and wizards get their grubby little hands on them. For a variety of reasons, however, we don't like to keep these recorded officially, to help keep them unknown.

"How would you three like to take Ginny and both sets of kids on a busman's holiday? You can visit the relevant sites ostensibly as part of your tour of the British Isles. My only request is that you keep any requests for assistance to your immediate circle and your friends from outside this world. Ask Ms. Addams or Ms. Zatara for any magical support, please."

"I'll e-mail Wednesday, Pugsley, Zatanna, Regina and Emma," Harry promised. "They can provide the added muscle more discretely than Stephen or my namesake in Chicago."

"I wasn't aware Regina Mills did _discrete_ ," Ron noted. "She's more sassy than subtle!"

"Given Wednesday's friendly contest with Jack Harkness to be the first to have a threesome with you and Ginny, Harry," Hermione added, "I wouldn't generally use that particular adjective for her either.

"Has either succeeded yet?"

"No, but Wednesday probably will soon enough!" Harry's twinkling eyes told the others he was almost certainly joking.

Kingsley laughed. "Either lady would be preferable to, say, Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Harry Dresden or John Constantine. Extensive property damage leads to equally extensive paperwork!"

"Now that last named doesn't even know the word _discrete_!" Ron concluded.

"So," concluded Harry, "we'll book our leave and start packing!"

 _Hi Harry._ _Yes, of course we'll be on standby, mon vieux. Pugsley and I are yours to command. Love to all (especially my darling goddaughter), Wednesday xx. P.S. My usual offer still stands! I take it our old friend Jack hasn't succeeded yet either?!_

 _Hi Harry. I'm ready and willing to help, as always, depending on what goes on in our world, anyway. I've spoken to Diana, Clark, Bruce, Arthur, Barry, Ollie and Dinah. We are all pledged to offer you any support. SHIELD, Peter and Tony are also putting any resources you may require at your full disposal. Hope this helps! Give my love to Ginny, James, Albus and Lily. Love, Zee xx._

 _Hi Harry. Yes, Swan and I will be there if you need us. Henry says thank you for that copy of "Hogwarts: A History" you and Ginny sent him. That idiot Charming has got his even more stupid wife pregnant again. Robin and I are trying IVF for a sibling for Henry, but no luck so far. Figures! Love to everyone, Regina xx._

"Let's start with the objects in London this weekend," Hermione suggested. "We can leave for the other locations next week."

"Then," Harry concluded, "off to the British Museum we go!"


	2. Chapter 1: The Last Great Rising

"So this is all British stuff, right, Mum?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "This _stuff_ , as you so elegantly called it, does relate to Britain from the Palaeolithic through to the late Middle Ages, yes, Rose. The correct phrase is _priceless antiquities_."

"These are the displays relating to the late Romano-Celtic period and the advent of the Anglo-Saxons," Harry noted. "Look, there it is! The Trewissick Grail! It is beautiful!" Indeed, the solid gold chalice shone brightly. It had five panels, four of which were carved with battle scenes and the fifth etched with what seemed to be one or more type of Ancient Runes. He had never taken that elective at Hogwarts and believed Hermione had told him that, so far as she was aware, no one had ever translated the inscription.

"Indeed it is!" A curator approached. He was stocky of build, with straight mouse-brown hair, blue-grey eyes and a cheerful round face, or would have been if not for the rather solemn expression. His accent suggested Buckinghamshire origins. 'William Stanton' was the legend on his name-badge. "Are you interested in that period?"

"More this piece. It was discovered by some friends of mine."

"How strange! Jane Davies, nee Drew, is one of my closest friends, as are Simon and Barnabas. I don't recall seeing you before. You are much too young to have known Professor Lyon, who passed on some decades back." " _Passed on" as in "sailed away to Avalon", that is!_

Harry started. _Blast! He would be a friend of the Drews!_ A simple _obliviation_ with his wand out-of-sight dealt with the matter.

Or so Harry thought! Will Stanton, as an Old One, was immune to such spells. _Wizards! They think they know magic. They've mastered a form of Wild Magic, it is true. True Wild Magic, to say nothing of Old and High Magic, is beyond their grasp. Good, since their old foe Tom Riddle would have been a major threat if he had grasped Old Magic and used it to bring back the Dark. I cannot use my Old Magic fully (the Balance must be preserved!), but I can keep a Watch for the Light. As an immortal, albeit not of the Highlander's kind, I am the perfect Watchman against the Dark._

Harry of course had no reason to doubt the efficacy of his spell, as Will had deliberately let his eyes briefly cloud over. There was nothing to suggest this perfectly ordinary looking man was anything other than a muggle. There was none of that eldritch energy that radiated from wizards. Although Bran Davies called his old friend a _dewin_ (a _mage_ or _wizard_ ), it was really more that he could conjure light or fire via using the Old Speech that he alone could now speak, or open up access to the Old Ways and the Doors. _Dewin_ was linked to _Druid_ after all!

Will spent some time examining the Mildenhall Treasure, whilst keeping an eye on the wizard party. He did keep half an eye on the magical world, just in case someone like Baron Mordo, Doctor Doom, Ra's Al-Ghul or the late Lord Voldemort meddled with forces that could bring the Dark back. The thought of any of them with the Black and White Riders and the other Great Lords of the Dark at his side was a truly terrifying one. Whilst he knew of the Potters and Weasleys by reputation and didn't think that any of the four adults would mess with Old Magic, let alone a High Magic item like the Grail or the Harp of Gold, he knew that British wizards had long had a reputation for being a magical version of Torchwood, only much less reasonable. They seemed to think that they alone knew how to deal with anything they recognised as magical and could handle any consequences that might ensue, with many acting as if a long purely magical descent made you immune to consequences. As far as Will was concerned, it merely made you inbred! Since the Harp of Gold was safe at the bottom of the dark waters of Llyn Mwyngil beneath Cader Idris, he only intervened if an archaeological team in the area employed divers. The Grail, however, was in the British Museum and well-known to scholars of Dark Age Britain and devotees of Arthuriana. Will got a job with the museum as an expert in the period to keep his eyes on the artefact.

Periodically, wizards would visit to renew the security spells on the Grail and check no "dark wizards" were using it for mischief. _Well, if Mordo used his extra power, or Ra's or Doom their combinations of magic and science, their protections would prove as much use as a child's catapult against a modern tank. My protections they can't detect would be effective against all bar Loki, Ares or Apollo. If they want to fight a godlike being, they are welcome to try! I mean, the Harp may summon Herne and me now the Seven Sleepers are all in Avalon. Again, if they wish to be prey for the Wild Hunt, let them! As for the Grail, it is powerful and could be used to bring back the Great Lords of the Dark. If so, I can recall the Old Ones of the Light from their rest in Avalon and the Seven Sleepers with them._

Meanwhile, Hermione had discretely cast privacy charms on the two families. This allowed them to speak openly of magic and cast complicated spells without anyone seeing anything magical or hearing anything but a general chat. Will, of course, could see everything they were doing and could get a feel of their true conversation and motives via the quartz-like warestones he had planted discretely in the display cabinet's frame.

"So has some naughty witch or wizard touched it, Auntie Hermione?" Lily Potter asked.

"No, Lily dear, no tampering evident!" Hermione confirmed, checking silently with her husband and in-laws. All three nodded their assent. "Also, we've not only renewed the existing security spells, but added some new ones. Thank Merlin!"

Will had to stifle a chuckle. There had been at least four or five people to have held the "Merddyn" title, one of whom lived some years after Arthur's death at the Battle of Camlann. They included an Old One (his old friend and mentor Merriman Lyon) and a Time Lord (the Doctor), neither of whom was a wizard as the Ministry would have defined the term. One wizard Merddyn had lived to attend Hogwarts as a graduate student (and was sorted into Slytherin, although the other three houses had long forgotten that fact!). He wandered if the wizards knew that non-wizards had held the title "Voice of the Eagle" (or its links to the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of Arthur's old nick-name for Merriman: "My Lion"). _Probably not!_

"At any rate," he "heard" Ginny say via the warestones, "we've done our part here. Is there anything else in the museum we need to examine?"

"Yes!" her husband told her grimly. "In the secret annexe. Emma Peel will let us in."

They discretely removed the concealment charms and left the chamber. Will was about to stop paying attention, when he felt another magical presence. This was a tall black wizard. "Strange that Potter and his crew quickly arranged for a grand tour shortly after being called to Shacklebolt's office," Will sensed via the warestones. "Now to see what they were looking at. Good job Granger didn't detect that obscure Zabini-family tracking charm I placed on her. What's this?! A magical cup? According to this muggle label, it is the Trewissick Grail. I can't interpret these runes. Well, to cancel their spells would be easy enough, but I'm not sure how long I have before any muggle alarms go off and their security people get here." Blaise Zabini didn't notice a curator going past, or overhear the man's quiet muttering of what Zabini would have heard as nonsense. "I must be mistaken. There's nothing that's even remotely magical about this old cup. I'll go home and see what they are interested in tomorrow."

Once Zabini had left, Will Stanton was able to find a discrete spot to start laughing. Honestly, these wizards had no idea of how many types of magic they could neither use not even detect! Still, he must get in touch with the wizards, via the usual channels. _It might be good to have some trusted wizards having some knowledge of us. If the likes of Mr. Zabini start tampering with High and/or Old Magic, then the "last" in "Last Great Rising of the Dark" may mean "previous" instead of "final"._

Emma Peel was waiting by the door in a courtyard that served as the British Museum's staff carpark that led to the staircase down to the Secret Annexe. As well as being the meeting place of the various Leagues of Extraordinary Gentlemen (or Extraordinary People these days) over the centuries, there were a number of items that could not be put on public display. It was not as if unicorns or Lilliputians existed, after all! So there could not stuffed examples of both in the British Museum alongside relics of the Ayesha and Cthulhu cults and the ship's logs of the _Black Pig_.

"Hi, Emma!" Harry greeted the spy warmly. Thanks to her access to the Royal Jelly honey that Sherlock Holmes had developed in the 1920s, Emma looked much younger than someone who had turned 78 barely a week before. Her long black hair was still vibrant and her figure was as slim and athletic as it was when she and John Steed had first worked together about half-a-century earlier.

"Hi Harry, everyone!" Emma replied. She unlocked the various doors and led them down the long spiral staircase that led down to the secret annexe. The group was finally admitted to one of the main chambers of the extensive cellar. Group portraits of the various Leagues adorned the walls. Harry saw a photograph from 2010 that featured him, Emma, Richard Barrett, the Doctor (wearing bow-tie and fez back then), Duncan MacLeod and Bruce Wayne (plus a certain notoriously grumpy vigilante!). That had been a scary battle against the Black Court of Vampires! He smiled. _From the moment when, a couple of years after Voldemort fell, I met Wednesday and Pugsley when repatriating some Death Eaters from the States, I have been a part of a wider world than I ever imagined. My two new friends introduced me to their family and I reciprocated. Before long, I was on first name terms with Stephen Strange, Zatanna Zatara, Wanda Maximoff, Harry Dresden, Willow Rosenberg, Tabitha Stephens and the Charmed Ones. Willow introduced me to the Watchers and Slayers. Stephen, Wanda and Zee did the same with their friends in the mutant and meta-human communities. There had long been links between the Ministry and the muggle police and security services, including UNIT and Torchwood. After all, you don't want to run into the Master, or Missy as she calls herself now, expecting an evil sorcerer! The same goes for the security services proper – Fu Manchu might be seen as an oriental warlock! By the time of the League, I knew all of my fellow members, at least by reputation._

Hermione, meanwhile, was taking the time to examine the contents. A scale model of the B.I.G.R.A.T. along with Professor Ian "Mac" McClaine's blueprints was next to one of Thomas Carnacki's Electric Pentacles. A staff with a sharp point at one end, a cat's head carved on the other and mysterious etchings on the other was placed alongside a sword, dirk, a pair of late-sixteenth century firearms and the black cape and broad-brimmed hat of a puritan. Maps hand-drawn by David Morton detailing the locations of the Lone Pine Club's various adventures were alongside the battered exercise books in which Rex Milligan recorded the insanities of life at Sheldrake Grammar School. Stuffed hippogriffs and wyverns guarded the doors to other parts of the annexe. A rack of broadswords, one jet black, was placed next to a set of priest's robes and a battered old umbrella. Various journals containing the reminiscences of Dr Watson, Mr Manders, Mr Dodgson and Captain Hastings were stored on a set of bookshelves. The latest acquisition, a street plan of Storybrooke, Maine, was stuck to a notice board with drawing pins.

"An impressive collection," Hermione noted. "Where did you get this stuff from?"

"Don't you mean _priceless antiquities_ , Mum?" Rose asked cheekily, earning a maternal glare.

"All over," Emma told her. "Many were uncovered from various excavation or obtained from private collections. One of the rooms contains records of alien worlds, including Vulcan, Minbar, Kronos, Krypton and Gallifrey. Clark, Kara and the Doctor were most helpful. In fact, Kara is…"

A familiar blonde figure suddenly emerged. Kara Zor-El or Supergirl was currently in her Kara Danvers identity, all sharp business-suit and with her hair tied back. She smiled at her friends. "Good to see you all as always."

"Indeed," Ginny agreed. "Come to us at 12 Grimmauld Place this evening. Kreacher makes a fine chicken and mushroom pie. You too, Emma. It'll be nice to have a chat.

"In the meantime, what have we come to see?"

"This!" Emma announced, pointing at the staff. "These items belonged to a late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth puritan named Solomon Kane."

"A fellow Devonian," Ron remembered, "alongside Amyas Leigh. Dad used to read us their exploits when we were kids. I must say, his adventures were vastly more entertaining than old Amyas' were! They involved magic and vampires, rather than English Protestants and Spanish Catholics engaged in yet another sea battle."

"I preferred Beedle the Bard," Ginny noted. "Much better than those weird muggle fairy tales."

"I find it hard reading "Snow White" to the kids," her husband agreed, "especially now the Evil Queen is a family friend!" _It is hard to visualise Regina Mills as an evil sorceress, despite the heart-ripping._

"Back to Solomon Kane and his staff…" Hermione prompted Emma.

"Yes. Whilst Kane was not, so far as we know, a wizard, he acquired this staff from an African shaman named N'Longa. According to him, so Kane reported, he studied sorcery throughout Greece, Turkey, the Black Sea coast and the Middle East. This staff was picked up in Judea and was the rod Moses and Aaron used to perform wonders at the time of the Exodus. It later became the Staff of Solomon, the Sceptre of Israel.

"Vampires, inferi and evil spirits flee from the presence of the staff. It can summon great vultures to attack the first two and can exorcise the spirits. I suppose the pointed end would be effective against a vampire if necessary! Kane, despite his, err, muggle nature, could also use the staff to communicate telepathically with N'Longa and sense the presence of evil. In the hands of a magic user, it can act as a super-wand."

Ron cast a few scanning spells on it. "No obvious magical core, so it isn't a wand. What sort of wood is it? I'm drawing a complete blank. Can you decipher these runes, love?"

His wife frowned thoughtfully. "They appear to be some form of hieroglyphics. I can't translate them. There appear to be some older markings in a language I've never seen before. As to the wood…"

Kara interrupted her. "That wood has been extinct on Earth since the destruction of Atlantis, where the staff was originally crafted. The Doctor told Clark and me that it is an artefact of immense magical power. Originally the carving was of some prehistoric beast. The more recent hieroglyphs and the reshaping of the animal head date from the Old Kingdom."

"How does it work?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Kara shrugged. "Some unique property of the wood, amplified by the carvings and etchings, perhaps? I'm not a witch and Clark and the Doctor aren't wizards."

Ron, the more practical of the two, raised the staff and cast a _lumos_ charm. The glare was blinding! He promptly checked that the staff had not otherwise been used since the last check and then his wife cast the various security spells with help from him and the adult Potters.

"In addition," Emma announced, "this black broadsword has some sort of magical signature, per the Ministry of Magic. Per psionic mutants, there are traces of _souls_ on the blade, almost as if the weapon absorbs the very essence of those it has killed. According to legend, those killed using this sword have _shrivelled_."

"The Black Sword _Stormbringer_ of Elric of Melniboné was said to have that power," Kara noted. "I thought that happened in the previous multiverse, though, or so the Doctor told me. He did hint there might have been an equivalent in this universe, something involving Una Persson, Jerry and Catherine Cornelius and the von Beck family, I think. You know what he's like once he gets started!"

"Yes!" chorused the other five adults present. The Time Lord's tendency to ramble was something all his incarnations had in common. His current rather grumpy fifty-something Glaswegian was as prone to long-winded explanations as the affable young boffin with the bow-tie he had been previously.

"How is young Lara Kent coming along?" Ginny asked, as Harry, Ron and Hermione checked the charms on the sword were still in place and had not been triggered. Lois Lane (or "Lane-Prince-Kent" to use her full surname) had given birth to a daughter three months before.

"She's fine, as is her mother. Lois quips motherhood is simple when you are married to two meta-humans! Clark and Diana hear Lara's cries in the night, and can have her cleaned, changed and burped in a flash. All Lois needs to do is breast-feed her."

"Lucky cow!" Hermione commented enviously. "Ron could sleep through whatever noises Rose or Hugo were making! Anyway, that's the renewed security spells in place. We'll see you both at Ginny and Harry's tonight."


	3. Chapter 2: Yellow and Green

"Blaise said there was nothing inherently magical about that cup, Pansy."

"Hmm, well, Shacklebolt must have some reason for sending Potter and company on that grand tour. We'll continue to keep an eye on them, Millie."

In a quiet London suburb, an elderly woman was eating dinner in her flat. There was a haunting bell-like chime and a pair of carved oak doors appeared in the room. "Come in!" she called.

The doors opened and Will Stanton stepped in. "Susan, it's good to see you again."

Susan Pevensie smiled. "Likewise Will! It's rare for the Last of the Old Ones to visit the Last Friend of Narnia. Is something up?"

"Possibly." He told her of the day's events. "They will be coming to check on the museum…"

"The rings!"

"Exactly! Who knows what magical world those Death Eater wannabees will try and reach?"

"A truly horrific prospect," Susan conceded, "which we must endeavour to avoid at all costs. These wizards you told me about, can they be trusted?"

Will shrugged. "I only know the Potters and Weasleys by reputation. I sensed no ill-intent and their good characters are well-attested to. Make of that what you will."

"That would be a _yes_ then? Honestly, did you Old Ones get obliqueness lessons from Aslan?"

Will grinned, making his round face seem even more cheerful. "From Merriman, actually. _He_ might have learned it from Aslan. Who knows?"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he went back through the Doors, which closed behind him, before vanishing with the same chine with which they had appeared.

Dinner at 12 Grimmauld Place was usually a lively affair. With James, Rose and Lily joined by Rose and Hugo, it was never going to be quiet this time! Kara and Emma were good company, with an array of reminiscences of their various exploits. Harry and Ron tended to pay a more professional interest. Whilst Cybernauts would be unlikely to work in a high-magic area, witches and wizards with muggle and squib friends and family might be in a non-magical wrong place at the wrong time. As for Doomsday or General Zod, well, you wouldn't want to deal with them, but you might have no choice in the matter.

"So," Emma was saying, "Steed is still trying to have parts of the Ministry of Magic's Law Enforcement divisions amalgamated into the muggle system."

"Why?" Ginny asked. "We've always kept ourselves secret."

"I think that's the problem," her husband observed. "We dealt with Voldemort badly, not weeding out the Death Eaters _before_ the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If we hadn't been so keen to accept the _imperius_ defence the first time…"

"Doesn't he trust us?"

"He trusts _you_ four and Kingsley Shacklebolt," Emma assured her, "as far as he trusts anyone outside of Cathy Gale, Tara King, Mike Gambit and myself. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Magic has produced too many Cornelius Fudges and, even worse, Dolores Umbridges for someone like John Steed ever to feel entirely happy about it having such huge control over its own security. Look, most wizard crimes are easily dealt with in-house, simple thefts, extortion, even murder and manslaughter. What he is concerned about is another prospective Dark Lord bringing the old pureblood supremacists out of the woodwork and the Fudges of this world being happy to accept their money and influence.

"This is no reflection on your hard work to reform your world, which is very impressive. All Steed is after is for the wizard world to accept that the muggle authorities should take the lead when national or global security is at stake."

Kara nodded. "There are similar protocols for the mutant, meta-human and resident extra-terrestrial populations. We deal with most crimes ourselves, but SHIELD, UNIT or whoever have the right to get involved if they feel the situation presents a clear threat to those outside our communities."

"Exactly!" Emma agreed. "I believe the White Council has such arrangements with the UN and UNIT, but some European wizard ministries, bureaux and the like are less _open_ to the national authorities. You have opened and maintained more contact with SOCA, MI5, MI6, Special Branch and the like than previously, but you can't blame John Steed, Barbara Mawdsley and their like for being anxious to ensure the old intransigence never returns."

"No," Hermione agreed. "We cannot. I would like to think all the changes we have made will stick, but I'm not so naïve as to expect _no_ attempts to bring back the old ways by the more fanatical of the pureblood supremacists."

By now, the chicken and mushroom pie with mashed potatoes, peas and sweetcorn had been finished and Kreacher had brought in the Queen of Puddings and custard for desert.

"So," Harry said, with practised air of an experienced host, "is there anything in the meta-human world that may affect British wizards, Kara?"

"Well," she said slowly, "Ra's and Talia have escaped from Belle Reve. They have been known to seek out magical members for the League of Assassins."

"From what Sir Denis tells me," Emma agreed, "the Si Fan are actively recruiting wizards again too."

"Ra's Al-Ghul and Fu Manchu both actively recruiting wizards?" Harry sighed. "That is _never_ good. I must contact Bruce and Sir Denis to see if we need to be on high alert."

"In the meantime," Emma said, "I must thank Kreacher. This is the best Queen of Puddings I have had in years."

The following day, the Potters and Weasleys went to one of the small private museums that can be found in British towns and cities. This one had a collection of items Susan Pevensie had inherited from the other Friends of Narnia. At that time, Susan, hurt by her inability to return to Narnia, had tried to nub the pain by acting as if the whole thing had been a childhood fantasy. The tragic railway accident which had taken away her family had put paid to that. Eventually, she had been found by the security services, worried about the rings' potential for inter-dimensional travel. Luckily, Merriman Lyon had found her and smoothed things over. Will Stanton, Merriman's protégé, had later found her and the two quickly became fast friends, despite Susan being about thirty years Will's senior. Each knew all about being the last one left.

Of course, the wizard party knew little of this. They quickly went to the relevant exhibit. "Now, don't touch the yellow rings!" Hermione had told the children before they left. "I don't want to have to go goodness-only-knows-where to get you back!"

Unbeknownst to them, the elderly muggle woman near the exhibit was Susan Pevensie herself. Will Stanton had, at her request, concealed warestones in her handbag strap. He could use the Doors to cross the few miles from the British Museum almost instantly if need be. All he had to do was take a "comfort break" and find an unnoticed area.

Harry and Ginny had been talking to the children about post-war British history (using a primer Emma Peel had given them), whilst Ron and Hermione discretely used their hidden wands to conceal their actions and then to monitor that no wizard had touched the rings. "No contact," Ron said. "Should we try…?"

"If you think I'm going to travel to Planet ABC in Dimension XYZ to retrieve you, Ron Weasley, you had better think again!"

"Did Susan Pevensie say anything about the rings?"

"Only that Andrew Ketterley had used some magic powder obtained from his Fairy Godmother to make the rings. He tricked his nephew Digory Kirke and the latter's friend Polly Plummer into using the rings, whereby they reached an inter-dimensional "Wood Between the Worlds". They went from there to a dying world called Charn, from whence they brought back an evil witch named Jadis. After she caused carnage on the streets of London, they brought her to a new-born world called Narnia, being created by a god-like being named Aslan. He usually appears in leonine form, but has been seen as a domestic cat, an albatross and a lamb. Jadis was banished and Digory provided with a magic apple to heal his dying mother. Whilst most of the population of Narnia were talking and otherwise animals and mythical beasts, a London cabby and his wife became King and Queen of Narnia.

"About forty or fifty years later, Digory Kirke became a professor. Four siblings named Pevensie were evacuated to his house in the country and stumbled into Narnia via a wardrobe made from Narnian wood. This was centuries, even millennia, later in Narnian years and Jadis had cursed the land with endless winter and made herself queen. With the help or otherwise of the children, Aslan killed Jadis and made the Pevensies joint monarchs of Narnia. They ruled for some years, before returning de-aged seconds after they left.

"After that, the Pevensies, their cousin Eustace Scrubb and his friend Jill Pole travelled to Narnia on at least three further occasions. There is no known continuity between Narnian time and ours. A year here could be a thousand years there or three years. All that needs to be said is that each involved this mysterious Aslan.

"As I said in Kingsley's office, the other three Pevensie siblings and Eustace Scrubb were all killed in the railway accident, as were Digory Kirke, Polly Plummer and Jill Pole. Susan Pevensie, now the only known surviving visitor to Narnia, subsequently donated the rings and other artefacts to this museum, with the proviso that their mysterious properties go unmentioned and that you wear gloves before handling a yellow ring. Those poor workers excavating the crash site were not and got transported to the Wood Between the Worlds, but recovered via the other rings."

"They are clearly magical," Ron agreed, "and _highly_ dangerous! Goodness only knows what extra-dimensional magic would be like!

"Well, that's the new charms cast. Time to head off to the next location."

They discretely cancelled the concealment charms and left with Harry, Ginny and the kids. Shortly afterwards, a tall, buxom and strangely-dressed lady entered. Will picked up that an as yet unknown witch was using magic to examine the rings and discretely withdrew to use the Doors to reach the other museum undetected. He used Old Magic to hide the appearance and presence of himself and the doors.

"These rings are clearly magical!" Millicent Bulstrode said to herself. "I wonder what they can do? I'll touch this yellow one. It's pretty!"

Before Will or Susan could stop her, Millicent touched a yellow ring. She promptly vanished into thin air, as well as activating every magical and muggle alarm going. Before long, the room was full of wizards including Ron, Harry and Hermione (Ginny was looking after the kids), plus detectives from Scotland Yard's Department of Queer Complaints and a party from UNIT, including Kate Stewart and the Doctor.

"What happened?" the Doctor asked Will and Susan.

"Wait, you are the curator from yesterday? I obliviated…" Harry began.

"No you didn't Harry. Will, here, is an Old One," the Doctor informed him. "He's the last remaining of a race of immortals that practice Old Magic. This is based on the use of the Old Speech and was used by two opposed forces, the good Old Ones of the Light and the evil Great Lords of the Dark. Will was trained by Merriman Lyon, the first and greatest of his kind. A fellow "Voice of the Eagle" too!"

"What is a "Voice of the Eagle", Doctor?" Hermione asked.

"An old Celtic title, usually rendered Merddyn, or Merlin, after someone noticed Romance language-speakers would read "Excrement One", "Manure Man", or worse."

"Wait!" Ron turned to the Doctor. " _You_ were _Merlin_?!"

"One of them, yes, weren't you listening? Silly me, too much to expect!" He turned to Hermione. "How do you put up with him?!"

"With great patience! So it doesn't have to be a wizard?"

"No, it can be an Old One or Time Lord, but, having said that, it usually is a wizard. One very long-lived wizard Merlin attended Hogwarts as a graduate student under the Founders."

"Funny," Hermione mused, "I don't remember reading that."

"He was sorted into Slytherin," the Doctor noted, "so the other three Houses decided to forget it.

"Anyway, Will and his friend Susan Pevensie here were about to explain what happened."

"This witch touched a yellow ring without gloves on."

"Pudding brain! I suppose I'll have to go and rescue her. What is it with humans and wandering off?"

"What witch?" Harry asked Will.

The Old One shrugged. "Tall, buxom, black-haired and with a prominent jaw?"

"Millicent Bulstrode?"

"Could be. I know you by reputation, Mr Potter, and your friends here, but…"

"Fair enough."

"Does she hang out with a tall, black wizard named Zabini? He visited the Grail after you yesterday, but I was able to alter his memories and send him away. Apparently there is an obscure Zabini family tracking charm on Mrs Weasley?"

Hermione's subsequent lengthy rant would have had her mother-in-law use a cleaning charm on her mouth! Harry scanned her magically, but none of them could counter or conceal the mysterious charm. A warrant was placed for Zabini's arrest, but until they found him, it was no good.

"We may have to cancel this expedition," Hermione moaned.

"Not necessarily," Harry turned to Will, Susan, Kate and the Doctor. "I've got an idea for a trap. Can you rescue Millicent Bulstrode, Doctor? Go with him, Mr Stanton…"

" _Dr_ Stanton. Will would be fine."

"Hello Will. I'm Harry! Could you edit her memories? I can contact some friends…"


	4. Chapter 3: Lion of Narnia

The Doctor handed Will, Susan, Ron and Hermione green rings. "Now," he announced grimly, "to pick up a yellow each…"

They did so and emerged, mysteriously dry, from a pool in a large forest, full of grass, trees, several other pools, a crying Millicent Bulstrode and a large lion. It turned to Susan. "Daughter of Eve, it is good to see you again. Are you over your rejection of Narnia?"

"You know I am, Aslan!" Susan began to cry herself. "You rejected me…"

"I did not," Aslan told her tenderly, "although I can understand why you thought otherwise. I'm sorry for that, Queen Susan the Gentle. Hmm. Two human wizards, a Companion of Merlin and a Lord of Time. All good. Come now, Doctor, you are good at heart. It is Courage that allowed you to make those choices and take those actions, not Malice!

"This girl here was a half-blood in Slytherin, albeit from an old Pureblood lineage. Her build and rather combative manner, plus the less than satisfactory membership of that House, led her astray. Miss Parkinson, Mr Zabini and Mr Nott are planning to use anything they can find to gain sufficient power to…"

"Kill us and overthrow the ministry?" Hermione guessed.

"The latter, certainly. Mr Zabini and Mr Nott may desire the former, Miss Parkinson wants Mr Malfoy to admit she is better than Mrs Malfoy. Miss Bulstrode here just wanted as always to belong."

"I can understand that," Will allowed. "I can…"

"I saw _everything_ I ever did!" Millicent sobbed. "So much of it was _awful_! I was never a Death Eater, unlike Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe and Goyle, but I did want _You-Know-Who_ to win. Slytherin was at least as respectable as the other three Houses once. He would restore us to our rightful place!

"I _never_ wanted you dead, Granger, I mean Weasley. Unlike Nott, I'm not psychotic.

"I just wanted to live in a world where purebloods are in charge, not persecuted!"

"We don't want to persecute purebloods, idiot. I married one!" Hermione told her. "You will have the same rights as everyone else."

"Really?" Millicent asked hopefully.

"Do you think we should alter her memories?" the Doctor asked Aslan. "She seems to be coming back to the light. Who better than an Old One for _that_ task…?"

"Who indeed?" The Great Lion of Narnia gave a strange muted roar, that might have been a chuckle. "I think your new plan is sound. There is hope for Miss Bulstrode and possibly for Miss Parkinson and Mr Zabini.

"Daughter of Eve," he told Susan gently, "Narnia is no more. The Real Narnia still exists and Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace and the others are happy there. One day, you too will be there, or with your parents in the adjacent land of Real Britain.

"Companion of Merlin," he spoke to Will equally gently, "Merriman Lyon was wrong. You can get to Avalon from Real Britain. On the day you leave for Avalon, your family and friends will be there to meet you."

"Including me!" Susan promised. "How much longer do I have?"

"There is a new task for you now, Daughter of Eve." The Lion blew on Susan and she somehow got younger as they watched. "The Old One needs a Companion in his Watch. You will depart for Avalon when he does. Your family will be waiting. Once a Queen of Narnia, Susan, always a Queen in Narnia.

"Your destiny is to be Mrs Will Stanton for now. You can change your apparent age, as Will can his. Remember, True Love is what makes the Watch bearable. There is no more powerful magic in any world…"

"Do you know Henry Mills by any chance?" Ron asked Aslan. The only response was that chuckle-like muted roar.

They then turned to see Susan and Will kissing passionately. "Well," Ron noted, "Henry would be doing his usual _True Love's Kiss_ act!"

The Lion kissed Susan's forehead (once she and Will had stopped kissing). Suddenly, Susan's parents, siblings and cousin Eustace, plus Digory, Polly and Jill were there, as were all the Old Ones, Arthur, the Lady, the Seven Sleepers and Herne the Hunter. "For your Narnian and Old One wedding," Aslan told them. "You will have one for your other friends and relatives in your own world whenever you want it."

Susan hugged her family and friends tightly, whilst Will greeted his old comrades. Peter and Edmund did try to give Will the brotherly _Don't hurt her!_ Speech, but they knew he was a good man and their hearts weren't in it.

After an exchange of vows and a long kiss, the marriage was over. Aslan kissed Susan's forehead again and the newly-weds were left with just Ron, Hermione, Millicent and the Doctor for company.

"I got to know it is alright," Susan said softly, "but just wish I had found this peace earlier. From now on, I have a purpose and a husband."

"We'll tie the knot in our world as soon as we can," Will assured her. "Bran, Jane, Simon and Barney will never believe I've finally found someone, nor will my numerous siblings."

They removed the yellow rings, put on the green ones and gently escorted Millicent (the Doctor had picked up a spare green ring and placed it on her finger) to the pool. They jumped in and found themselves still dry in the museum, seconds after all bar Millicent left.

"That," Ron announced, "was weird even by _our_ standards!"

Harry had contacted many old friends, as well as Kingsley. The Addams siblings were there, as were Regina Mills and Emma Swan, both now able to perform magic outside of Storybrooke, thanks to lessons from Wednesday. Henry was with the children. Zatanna Zatara was present, having brought Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman with her, as well as Lois Lane and young Lara. Supergirl was still in Britain, so was also present. Sam Loover had come, young Joe McClaine (with the brain patterns of Fox Mulder "downloaded") alongside him. Modesty Blaise, Willie Garvin, James Bond and Emma Peel formed an impressive secret agent contingent. Considering Willie and Modesty were around Emma's age or older and Bond had turned 95 the previous November, the fact all would pass for mid-twenties to mid-thirties was a testament to the Royal Jelly's effectiveness. Sherlock Holmes himself still looked very sprightly for 162! With Jack Harkness having joined Kate and the Doctor, Harry was confident a few rogue wizards stood no chance.

"Hopefully, this is overkill," Harry began, "but Millicent Bulstrode here says Parkinson, Nott and Zabini have other acolytes. In addition, whilst our target at the Science Museum is not particularly serious as a magical threat…"

The Doctor groaned. "Mickey?" he asked plaintively.

"He's doing some checks at Torchwood 6," Jack cut in surprised.

"Not that Mickey! I like that Mickey! _Metal Mickey_!"

"Some magical robot according to Kingsley?" Hermione offered.

"Metal Mickey it is! Of all the idiotic inventions in history…"

For the sake of preserving their sanity, everyone other than Jack quickly tuned the Doctor out.

Susan turned to Will. "Your place or mine?!"

"What?!"

"It's our wedding night, silly. Now take me home and make love to me!"

The following morning, the party (those living in Dorset, Maine, Metropolis, Gotham City, New York or wherever having been put up with the Potters and Weasleys and in UNIT safe-houses) assembled at the Science Museum _sans Hermione_. Regina, Emma and Henry were pretending to be American tourists, with Susan, Joe, Sam, Jack, Kate, Bond, Emma, Modesty and Willie also among the tourists. The Doctor was posing as a (rather voluble!) tour guide, as was Will. Both he and Susan were clearly enjoying married life.

They entered the backroom, where unusual items were stored. The costumed heroes were concealed under covers. Zee, Wednesday and Pugsley were hidden under disillusionment charms, as was the penitent Millicent, who was actually rather sweet when you got to know her. Lois was at Grimmauld Place, with Kreacher helping her look after Lara. Hermione, who had held back until the trap was set, then entered.

In the corner stood a weird-looking object. About five-feet tall, made of grey steel, with blue, pink and red lights on its face and arms and two black panels on its chest. A sleep-mask was over its eyes. Harry raised the mask. It stopped making snoring noises and spoke in a weirdly echoing electronic tone: "That you, Clever Clogs? Stringbean? Mush? Even Bootface?"

"Who?" asked Ginny.

"According to the Doctor, 'Clever Clogs' was Mickey's inventor, with his sister, brother and father the others," Harry noted. "The inventor's presumably, rather than…"

"Do you have any Atomic Thunderbusters on you?" asked the robot. "They make me want to Boogie! Boogie! Boogie!"

"I can't see anyone wanting this monstrosity!" Hermione wailed.

"Naughty woman!" Mickey told her.

"This could be a long day!" Ginny groaned.

After completing their checks, Hermione left, whilst the others disillusioned themselves.

Shortly afterwards, Blaise Zabini entered, alongside the stringy Theodore Nott, the pug-nosed dark-haired Pansy Parkinson and others. "What on earth could they find in this muggle dump?!" Pansy asked. "And what happened to Millie? She never came home yesterday."

"More visitors? Any Atomic Thunderbusters?" asked Mickey.

"What?"

"This has a magical signature," Zabini noted. "What the hell is it?"

"Bait!" cried Harry, as he, Ron, Ginny, Zee, Wednesday and Pugsley cancelled their disillusionment charms and Wonder Woman, Superman, Supergirl and Batman revealed themselves. The spies came in from the main room at a signal, alongside Will, Regina, Emma Swan, Kate, Jack and the Doctor. Henry and Susan beckoned for the Potter and Weasley children to join them in the main museum.

"Still hiding behind _freaks_ I see, Potter!" Nott yelled.

"Who are you calling a freak?" James Bond noted. "You're the one threatening people with a stick! I'm using a Walther PPK to threaten you."

"Well, you can't stop me taking this…"

"Robot?" Regina supplied helpfully. "Do you know what to do with it? Actually…"

"Boogie, Toots, Boogie!" intoned Mickey.

The Doctor groaned. "Joy!"

"Boogie! Boogie!" continued Mickey.

 _"_ _Seriously…?"_ commented Emma Swan, with her fellow Emma nodding in agreement.

"I've heard horror stories from Uncle Rex about that _prefabricated death-trap_ , as he called it," Joe remembered.

"Everyone is being very rude today," Mickey lamented.

"As I said, a long day!" Ginny grumbled.

Nott cast a killing curse at Harry, who dodged it, whilst firing off one of his own. It missed Nott, but killed one of his followers. A throwing-knife from Willie Garvin imbedded itself in the wrist of Nott's wand arm, forcing him to drop his weapon. Zabini grabbed him and side-along apparated him to a Zabini stronghold only he and Nott knew about.

Pansy, seeing her main allies gone, started to duel with Ginny. "Tell me what you did with Millie. What tortures are you using on her?"

"They haven't, Pansy," Millicent said, as she cancelled her disillusionment charm. "A magic ring sent me to some forest, where there was this huge lion. I saw _everything_ my life has been and how _bad_ I've been. Then the Weasleys, the legendary Doctor and two, well, not _exactly_ muggles, one of whom knew Merlin, came to bring me home.

"Pansy, they don't want to persecute us, just ensure _we all_ have the same rights. We will be free to lead good lives in peace. Please listen…"

As battles go, once Zabini and Nott had disapparated away, this one was a minor skirmish at best. With eight powerful witches and wizards, several top muggle fighters, two Kryptonians, an Amazon, an Old One, an immortal and a Time Lord on the scene, the pureblood supremacists were out-muscled and they knew it. Unable to do anything other than shield when faced with throwing-knives, fireballs and bullets, they all disapparated away with a series of loud bangs. Luckily, Zee had cast " _Esion lla nepmad_!" before the fight, so no-one in the main museum heard the fight.

Pansy was still fighting Ginny, but was distracted by her comrades all fleeing. An _expelliarmus_ from Harry sent the former Slytherin's wand flying. She was quickly surrounded and raised her hands in surrender.

Pansy turned to Millicent. "I suppose your new _friends_ want to interrogate me? They'll need to use torture…"

A lariat looped over her head and tightened around her. "Who," Wonder Woman noted, "stoops to torture when they have a Lasso of Truth in their arsenal…?"

Whilst Pansy and Millicent were unable to say where Zabini and Nott had disappeared to, nor name all of the ex-Death Eaters and other supremacists Nott had approached. Still, Harry was able to call Kingsley via a magic mirror and get arrest warrants _authorised_ for those names he did know.

Pansy Parkinson was in magical shackles, ready to be transported to the Ministry holding cells. She looked at Millicent Bulstrode and sighed. "Will you be alright, Millie?"

"Pansy, I've been offered a pardon in exchange for testimony," her friend replied. "If they offer you one, take it. I'll be staying in a nice, cosy house rather than a prison cell tonight."

"Whatever, they've done to you Millie…" Pansy began, before a heart-shaped pink light glowed from Mickey's left chest-plate. A ray of _something_ bathed her.

"This Toots needs love-magic. Boogie! Boogie!"

Something was causing Pansy to dance as freely and loosely as she could, as if at a late 1970s or early 1980s disco. Given her arms and legs were in irons, this wasn't as free as it could be. Still, she was _smiling_. "What's happening? I am…am…am happy! I love you all!"

"Love-magic should last a few hours, make her more amenable. Boogie! Boogie!"

The Doctor hastily replaced Mickey's sleep-mask and the robot went back to sleep. "I must contact Ken Wilberforce…Williams…Wilkinson…whatever 'Clever Clogs' real name is and ask him to bring some Atomic Thunderbusters. If he had to invent the thing, the least he can do is look after it!"

"What about Hermione?" Ron asked. "We can't remove that charm. Do we continue the tour without her?"

"No," Harry replied. "It may be the only way to catch Nott and Zabini…"


	5. Chapter 4: The Dreaming Spires

Ginny and Kreacher had their work cut out to feed the assembled hordes. Whilst they were preparing dinner, Hermione had quickly set about asking Will and Susan about Old Ones and Narnia respectively. She was disappointed to learn that the Balance meant Will's ability to use his powers in combat were limited. The fact that it was impossible to learn Old Speech as such (only Old Ones and Great Lords of the Dark can speak it), plus the destruction of the Book of Gramarye (itself written in Old Speech), meant that she could not learn it anyway. Still, an understanding of the histories of the secret war between the Light and the Dark, as well as of this world's dealings with Narnia, was of interest in itself. You never knew, but with the way things had developed over the last few years or so, with this world seemingly faced with powerful mutant and meta-human "super-villains", or invasions by Daleks, Cybermen, General Zod and goodness only knows _who_ or _what_ else, every couple of months, meant that building contacts with non-wizards was essential. Hermione had no illusions as to how long she would last against Zod, Magneto or Missy and it was no different than she would against Doctor Doom or Baron Mordo. The Black Rider and the Grey King were also individuals she would prefer not to meet, so knowing who to contact if some fool brought the Dark back may be essential.

Dinner was steak, chips, peas, mushrooms and grilled tomatoes, followed by a Bakewell Tart. Most of the people present were long-time friends, so there was little awkwardness. Only the Doctor had known Will and Susan before the last couple of days, but Hermione's long conversation with them earlier and the Potters' long experience of introducing new people to their extensive social circle when hosting such events meant that they quickly came up to speed. Will, despite his usually solemn expression, was affable company and Susan had been quite the socialite between her last trip to Narnia and _that day_ when most of her family had been killed.

"By the Lion's Mane, this food is good!" Susan announced. "We barely tasted better at Cair Paravel!"

"Ah," Regina nodded. "Jefferson said he had been there during King Rilian's time."

"Jefferson?"

"The Mad Hatter. A dimensional traveller."

Emma Swan saw Batman (still in full costume naturally!) grimace. "What's wrong with him, Batman?"

"Mr Jefferson? Nothing! One of my most prominent foes, Jervis Tetch, calls himself the Mad Hatter, that's all. He modelled himself after Lewis Carroll's character and is a master of mind control."

Diana Prince nodded. "Ra's Al-Ghul got that subliminal signalling technology he used to ferment that potential war between Themyscira and Storybrooke from Jervis Tetch." Unlike their paranoid grouch of a close friend, Diana, Clark and Kara were perfectly happy for more than certain trusted comrades to know who they really were. To be fair, Bruce Wayne and his "Bat-Family" were not meta-humans. As long as Clark and Diana were sure no-one who shouldn't knew who they really were (Lois, Ma and Pa Kent and now Lara needed to be kept safe after all), they were less obsessional about preserving their civilian identities.

"Any plans for tomorrow?" the Doctor asked.

"How dangerous is the Red Book of Westmarch?" Harry asked.

The Time Lord shrugged. "Unless you happen to be a Vala, a Maia or an Eldar, not very. Why?"

"Are we?"

"Well, wizards and witches are of Istari origin, so very remotely Maiar, but too dilute to be able to do much with any Words of Power in the Red Book. Besides a copy was found by a Professor at Oxford who died some years back. You probably know it as _The Lord of the Rings_ , _The Hobbit_ and so on. Anyone with a Kindle or other e-reader can have 90% of the contents of the Red Book downloaded in a matter of minutes.

"There isn't anything in the remaining 10% or so to cause alarm. As bait, it would be an excellent choice. It is not powerful enough to cause any serious damage in the wrong hands, but old enough to seem important as more than just ancient history."

" _History?_ " Henry Mills looked up. "That fantasy series was _real_?!"

"Your adoptive mother and at least three of your grandparents are fairy tale characters. The idea of characters from fantasy being real can't be new to you."

"Well, no. In this world…"

"There are witches and wizards, meta-humans, mutants, extra-terrestrials, ghosts, vampires, zombies, werewolves, angels and demons and countless others. None of us were supposed to exist. Now the mutants and meta-humans avowedly exist, as do aliens. Over the next few centuries, the wizards, resident aliens, Silurians and others will emerge openly. In a few centuries time, this solar system will be feared. When humans, Silurians and Ice Warriors are all threatened, look out!"

Everybody decided not to ask the Doctor what "Silurians" and "Ice Warriors" actually were. Jack, Kate and others with access to Torchwood and UNIT files already knew. The others decided as usual not to risk being lectured at for several minutes.

"So, this marriage thing…?" Hermione asked the newly-weds.

"I fell for Will some time ago," Susan admitted. "I was all alone for many years and Will was also the last survivor in a sense. True, he has a large family and is still good friends with Bran, Jane, Simon and Barney, but he is the only Old One left and Herne the Hunter is the only other Old Speech speaker still around. Despite this, he knows what it is to be left behind, but gets on with it, not wallowing in self-pity. He showed me how to live! How could I not love him? I, however, am the best part of thirty years his senior and pushing ninety, so I never assumed my feelings could be reciprocated."

"I always assumed I would never marry," Will noted. "As an immortal, I couldn't bear the thought of seeing a spouse or partner die. For what it's worth, I was falling for Susan, just didn't admit it even to myself. Once Aslan de-aged her and told her that she would remain with me always, I _just knew_ I had always wanted, no, _needed_ her love. Now I've got the love of my long life to share my watch and will endeavour to spend all eternity making her as happy as she makes me!"

"True Love is…" Henry began.

"The most powerful force in all the realms!" chorused both his Moms in unison. The happy couple, however, were too busy sharing a long kiss to care.

"Well, how long can you all stay for?" Ginny asked.

"Well, Belle can stand in for me," Regina noted, "and that idiot Charming for Swan for a few days. You said Ava could stay with Ron and Hermione if Henry needs company?"

Henry grinned. "It'll be good to have her over. She can contact Chloe in Themyscira, if you want _your_ girlfriend, Joe?"

"I'm not going to say no to that, Henry!" Joe laughed. "Uncle Sam and I have been assigned to this mission by Mr Weston."

"Wednesday and I have been seconded to you unofficially for as long as you need us, Harry," Pugsley told him. The Addamses were a study in contrasts. They had the same black hair and pale skin and both were tall, true, but Pugsley was solidly-built with close-cropped hair and his sister was slender with long hair. Both were finely dressed as befitting the heirs to the vast Addams fortune.

"Of course, _mon vieux_!" his sister purred.

"Lois and I have agreed with Perry to cover a major UK-US trade negotiation," Clark piped up. "Diana has been assigned to your aid by Steve. The IADC has heard bad things about the British wizards. Now Steve likes you four, but…"

"Like John Steed, he isn't sure no more Dolores Umbridges can come to power!" Harry finished. "I can't say I blame them for that!"

"I can stay longer. Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood and the others can look after things in Gotham for a few days," Batman agreed.

"John Constantine and I broke up badly again recently," Zee agreed. "I've no commitments back home so I'll stick around."

"Susan's retired and I've used Old Speech to convince the British Museum staff I'm currently on Sabbatical for a few months," Will finished. "I'll re-edit their memories in time to issue the wedding invites."

"You are technically my jailer, so I have to come!" Millicent finished. " _I want to_!"

"So, it's off to Oxford tomorrow!" Ron finished.

The following morning, a series of portkeys were used to transport the party (minus Lois, Mac, Henry, Ava and Chloe, who were waiting to help Hermione look after the children) to the University of Oxford Botanical Gardens, before it opened. As they passed a bench, Harry noticed that _WP & LB Forever _had been carved crudely into the woodwork.

There were a number of small collections in Oxford. One of these had a collection of old manuscripts, which included a mysterious red folio, apparently a collection of various tales told in what appeared to be ancestors of Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian languages. As before, Hermione would arrive with the children once the trap was set. Since the dark wizards would be looking for magical hiding places, it was decided that Will would use the Doors to conceal the rest of the party. Once the wizards had left, Ron, Harry and Ginny would Apparate back to the collection and enter the Doors before Nott, Zabini and friends turned up. The Old One had planted warestones by the Red Book.

"This looks exciting, Dad," Albus commented at the book, once Hermione and the children had arrived.

"Yes, Albus, but since I don't speak the languages it is written in, don't expect it as a bedtime story anytime soon!"

"The English version might be a bit heavy going," Hermione agreed. "Maybe The Hobbit part might be suitable?"

"What's a hobbit?" Hugo asked.

"A bit like a dwarf or a gnome," his mother replied, "only more like a small human than either. The Doctor used that description earlier, so it is likely to be accurate. He also said there are still some to be found if you know where to look."

They cast the usual spells, confirmed nobody had used magic in the vicinity and left. A few moments later, Harry, Ron and Ginny Apparated back and entered the Doors which appeared, opened and disappeared with the usual chime.

Meanwhile, Zabini and Nott had Apparated to the college and were about to enter. They waited in the college's quadrangle for the Potter-Weasley party to leave. A porter spotted them and went to approach them. Nott, panicking, cast _Avada Kedavra_ and the porter fell dead.

"Nice one, Theo!" Zabini grumbled. "Now its Life in Azkaban if you are caught!"

They saw the Potters and Weasleys leave and went inside. Meanwhile, some dons saw the body and called Thames Valley CID to report a mysterious death.

"What is this?" Zabini asked.

"I can't translate it," Nott admitted. "Someone _must_ be able to. We _must_ take it. Maybe it can bring the Dark Lord back, or give us the power to kill Shacklebolt, Potter and their acolytes and restore us purebloods to our rightful place?"

"Our detection charms haven't detected any concealment spells," his friend agreed "so we won't be ambushed this time."

"Let them try! I'm damned if Potter will defeat us this time!"

"What about his circus turns?!"

"A few muggles in garish costumes and/or carrying those weird fire-weapons?"

Zabini snorted. "Zatanna Zatara and the Addams siblings are hardly muggles, my dear Nott. Those two other Yank witches seemed powerful too! Besides, isn't that woman in the swimsuit supposed to be a demi-goddess and the male and female in blue and red powerful aliens?! We are not dealing with your common or garden muggles here."

Concealed by Old Magic, the unseen Doors opened, so the "circus turns" appeared to arrive from nowhere into the deserted small display room. Nott and Zabini exchanged glances. Surely one of the two would have detected _something_ if magic had been used to conceal the approaching hordes?

"Surrender, Nott and Zabini!" Ron called sternly. "We can still resolve this…"

Joe's mobile ringtone sounded. "Hi Auntie George… What? A mysterious death at this very college?... Suspected magical cause?... Yes, please can Uncles Jon and Jigger and yourself try and keep the local CID busy?... Thanks, Auntie George!... Yes, you too. Goodbye!" Hanging up, he turned to Zabini and Nott. "There's been an apparent magical murder in the Quad. You two wouldn't know anything about it by any chance?"

Nott's only response was to snarl out a killing curse, which Joe dodged. It missed and hit the wall, with a slight burn the only evidence of the spell.

"Right, come quietly, you two!" Ron demanded again. "You are now facing a murder charge."

Zabini and Nott tried to Apparate away, but couldn't. Harry and Ron had asked Zee to cast an anti-apparition spell. Zabini cast _reducto_ at the windows before he and Nott jumped down, using feather-light charms to slow their descent.

A tall, blonde man, another slightly shorter dark-haired man and a curly-haired black woman were gathered beside a blonde woman in a lab coat, who was kneeling over the corpse of the unfortunate porter. The blonde woman was clearly a pathologist and the other three police detectives.

"What do you think killed him, Laura?" the dark-haired man asked, in a Geordie accent.

"No idea, Robbie."

"Well, he seems shocked," the other man noted.

"According to the college, there was no history of…" Whatever the black woman was going to say was cut off when part of the college _exploded_! As the four looked on in astonishment, two men just _jumped_ through the hole on the third floor and _glided_ safely to the ground. They then turned on the spot and vanished with a bang.

"Did I just see…?" the pathologist asked. The others shrugged.

The tall detective's mobile rang. "DI Hathaway… What?... Paranormal Investigations Bureau?... Well, I've just seen an inexplicable death, a massive explosion and two people fly and then disappear, so I can quite believe it… Yes, we'll provide any assistance required… There are some people on site…?" He looked up and saw Zatanna, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and Supergirl gathering where the two men had glided from. "No sir, we can't compete with them, so tell this Mr Warrender his people can lead the investigation!... Yes, goodbye Joe." He turned to the other two detectives. "Well, Robbie, Lizzie, I think we had better let this lot get on with it…"

"What would old Morse have made of this case?" Robbie wondered. "Back to the station! See you at home, pet." He kissed the pathologist passionately, before leaving with the others.

"Well, that didn't exactly go as planned," Harry admitted.

"Plans never do!" Regina told him. "In my experience, anyway."

"As an old friend once said," James Bond noted, "half of everything in life is luck and the other part is fate!"

"He's always been a sly fox, that Blaise Zabini," Millicent noted. "He never took the Dark Mark and is a subtler supremacist activist than Nott is."

"They will be panicking, _mon vieux_ ," Wednesday noted. "Time to try another ambush? Only this time, try a greater variety of anti-magic charms. Will's Old Magic and our non-magical friends' weapons and powers will give us an edge in a firefight!"

"And I," the Doctor announced, "know just the location…"


	6. Chapter 5: Over the Sea to Skye

"Welcome to Dunvegan Castle!" the Doctor announced. "When I saw _Am Bratach Sìth_ on Harry's list, I couldn't resist it."

"The what?" Regina asked, "I don't speak Scottish!"

"Scots Gaelic, technically. Scots is closer to English. There is no such language as Scottish!"

"Now I know that!"

"According to Kingsley's list, it is something called 'the Fairy Flag' we've come to see," Ron noted.

"Of course it is!" the Doctor responded testily. "That's what I just said!"

"I've seen it," James Bond noted. "It is more of a tattered dishcloth or handkerchief than a noble flag these days.

"There's an old legend. The chief of Clan McLeod married a fairy. After twenty years, she was forced to return to Fairyland, but she left the Chief with a Fairy Flag. This would summon fairy aid on the first three times it was waved in battle. One family was appointed the hereditary flag-bearers and were tasked with carrying _Am Bratach Sìth_ into battle. Twice it was waved in battle, goes the legend. The first was at the Battle of Bloody Bay and the second at the Battle of Glendale. I believe both were in the late 1400s?"

"Well-remembered, James!" the Doctor responded. "1480 and 1490 respectively."

"Did it work?" Harry asked.

"They actually lost the first, so not really," the Time Lord noted. "It did, however, rally other McLeods on the other side to switch allegiances and reduced casualties that way. At Glendale, it did turn the tide of the battle. As I wasn't present for either battle – well, not yet anyway – I cannot say if any wee folk were involved. If Kingsley sent you here, I assume there was some magical trace on the banner.

"Interestingly, there is an alternate version stating that it was brought back by a McLeod from a fairy he met in the Crusades. The yellow or brown silk is from Syria and the reddish dots added in the Near East, so who knows? It is also reputed to have healing and fertility-aiding powers.

"Sometimes one or another later battle is used rather than Bloody Bay. Presumably because "may have made a heavy defeat slightly less heavy" hardly makes for a great story.

"Now, Jack, Kate," he turned to his friends, "did you…?"

"All muggles visiting today are UNIT, SHIELD or other security service troops," Kate promised. "As far as the real general public is concerned, the place is closed today.

"Other priceless relics, such as the Dunvegan Cup and Sir Rory Mor's Horn, have been replaced by reproductions, just in case. This time we intend to spring the trap before Nott, Zabini and any of their friends get anywhere near the Flag. We don't want to be facing elves or hobgoblins, thank you!"

"Unless Nott or Zabini is a flag-bearer for Clan McLeod," Bond pointed out, "it shouldn't work!"

"Don't put too much faith in that, matey," Willie Garvin told him. "From what I've seen of _that_ sort of spook stuff, there's bound to be a loophole somewhere! Right, Princess?"

"Indeed, Willie-love." Modesty turned to Joe. "I know you are adopted, but the Mac told me that the McLean family was from Argyll and the Inner Hebrides, which includes Skye. This is your home!"

"Home is on the Dorset Coast," he noted, "although Skye is beautiful!"

"So," said Emma Peel practically, "go in and do _your spook stuff_ , Harry!"

"Right, it's time to summon the fairies!" Harry said. Hermione had arrived, so they went up, cast the various spells and returned to the gardens. Nods from one of the tourists indicated Nott and Zabini had arrived, with company. Once again, the Potter-Weasley party left, with Harry, Ginny and Ron picking up rucksacks containing crossbows and bolts and disguising themselves. Already disguised as a tourist, Zee cast spells to prevent _any_ conventional magic being cast. She then used the warestones to have Will use Old Magic to reveal the hidden heroes, whilst signalling for the other "tourists" to produce their weapons. They blocked the doors to prevent Nott, Zabini and company accessing the castle itself.

"Well, if it isn't the Potter freak show again!" Zabini grumbled. "You know we can… Anti-apparition charms again? Well, _reducto_!" he shouted drawing his wand. Nothing happened. " _Reducto_!"

"Anti-magic charms, _mon vieux_ ," Wednesday purred. "Your boys are helpless! We are carrying!" She, Pugsley, Zee, Regina, Ron, Millicent and the Potters produced crossbows and bolts and Emma her firearm. "Now surrender!"

The next few moments were hectic. Death Eater wannabees were being knocked cold by batarangs and Wonder Woman's flying tiara. Knives from Willie and Bond were being thrown with pinpoint accuracy, whilst Modesty and Emma Peel were giving a martial arts exhibition flying acolytes of Zabini and Nott would never forget. Superman and Supergirl were in the air, using heat vision aimed harmlessly into gravel or compost to keep their opponents honest. Plastic bullets, tear gas pellets and crossbow bolts were flying at regular intervals. Before long, all attackers bar the two ringleaders were either surrendered and shackled or unconscious.

Nott and Zabini were standing back-to-back with their foes surrounding them. "I think we're caught this time, my dear Nott."

"You are not facing a life sentence in Azkaban, my dear Zabini!" snapped Nott.

"So it was _you_ who killed that porter?" Harry noted. "We can let Thames Valley CID know the culprit is being dealt with. Thank you, Nott."

"Look on the bright side, Nott!" Millicent told him. "Twenty years ago, you could have been Kissed!"

"I should have known a half-blood like you would be a traitor, Bulstrode! Why you were sorted into Slytherin in the first place is beyond me. Unlike Parkinson, you weren't even good for a quick…"

As she had with Hermione in Lockhart's duelling class, Millicent launched herself physically at Nott. He was stringy and she was muscular. With flying fists, she pummelled Nott into submission. When she finally stopped her pounding, he was barely conscious. "I suppose you are going to arrest me for assault, now Mr Potter?"

"Firstly, its 'Harry', Millicent. Secondly, you were responding to extreme provocation whilst subduing a wanted felon. I'm not intending to take any action against you. Ron?" His friend shook his head.

Millicent was sobbing. "I was forced into doing their dirty work. At least, unlike Pansy, I'm not pretty enough to be..." Ginny, surprising even herself, went over and hugged her tightly.

Harry was looking at Zabini disgustedly. "Did you…?"

"I? No, Potter, I'm not a rapist and neither Fatso no Pug-Face were up to my standards. I mean look at Millie. She's…"

"Infinitely more attractive than you will ever be!" Harry fired back. "Yes, she's a big girl, but she has a heart to match! You, on the other hand, are aiding and abetting a murderer. Arrest him!" A couple of SHIELD officers frisked and shackled Zabini. "And for the record, Millicent, you are actually really pretty when you are smiling."

"Thank you, Harry," said a positively beaming Millicent. "You are a _very_ lucky woman, Ginny Potter!"

Meanwhile Nott had staggered to his feet and grabbed Susan around the neck. "Let me go and I don't strangle her!"

Suddenly Will was starting to mutter something which sounded to everyone else like gibberish. He was cut off, however, by a massive roar! Everyone turned to see a giant lion standing by the castle wall.

"No, Companion of Merlin, whilst calling the Wild Hunt would have freed Susan, it is not necessary," the lion spoke in a deep, powerful voice. "Let Queen Susan the Gentle go, Son of Adam!"

Nott merely tightened his grip. "What trickery is this?"

The lion _bounded_ up to them in a few leaps. "Son of Adam," he roared, "let her go NOW!" The last word came out as a great bellowing growl. Nott looked at the lion and saw _himself as he really was_. Whilst what Millicent had seen had caused her to reassess her life and with help from the others begin to reform, with Nott it just did enough for him to let go of Susan and turn to flee. Unfortunately for him, his flight was straight at Millicent Bulstrode. With a powerful haymaker, she laid him out cold.

"Nice!" Ron approved.

Millicent shrugged. "I should have punched his lights out twenty-odd years ago! I think, knowing his own background, Professor Snape would have understood."

"Indeed he would, Daughter of Eve," Aslan told her. He then blew on her. "Receive the strength and courage of a lioness!" She didn't get younger as Susan did, in fact she barely changed physically at all. What did happen was that she somehow seemed self-confident, brave and happy. Harry was right – a smiling Millicent Bulstrode was pretty!

Wonder Woman spoke to Harry. "Could you arrange for her to visit Themyscira? She would benefit from training with the Amazons."

"Tall, dark-haired and muscular? With a less pronounced jaw and a makeover, she could be a daughter or granddaughter of Hippolyta," Harry admitted. "She's definitely a victim of abuse, if possibly not sexual. A few weeks on Themyscira will do her good!

"I must speak to Pansy Parkinson. It sounds as if…"

"Tracy Davis as well, Harry," Millicent piped up. "I wasn't to their tastes, thank Merlin! Daphne is very lucky, in that the Greengrasses are politically connected, so no-one touches her or Astoria. That was why Lucius objected to Draco marrying Astoria. He can't influence or control the Greengrasses. Pansy was Draco's intended, true, but her father was a lower-ranking Death Eater and had no real clout. As far as Crabbe and Nott were concerned, she was fair game. Draco never really loved her, so saw no need to defend her."

"Daughter of Eve," Aslan addressed Susan, "you have a great destiny in store in this world. There are many things coming over the next century and throughout your long existence to come. Follow your heart and stick with your love and you will not fail."

"Fail to do what, Aslan?" Susan asked.

"That you will find out for yourself in the usual way."

"Did you get obliqueness lessons from Merriman?" Will asked wryly, getting a grin from Susan. His wife threw her arms around the lion's neck and received a number of soft leonine kisses to the cheek and forehead. She then went over to her husband and kissed him, before turning back to Aslan. He had vanished into thin air.

"Well," Susan laughed, "somethings _never_ change…"

Once the prisoners including Nott and Zabini had been taken into UNIT custody, Ron nodded. "That's those gits dealt with."

"Yes," Harry agreed, "I can edit their memories and _persuade_ Zabini to remove his tracking charm from Hermione. We can then transfer them to Ministry holding cells, ready for trial."

"In the meantime," the Doctor suggested, "why don't we have a tour of the castle?"

"It doesn't look like much, this Fairy Flag!" Lois Lane complained. "It's tattered and torn."

"As would you be when you are at least 13 centuries old!" the Doctor pointed out drily. "The silk is dated to somewhere between the fifth through seventh centuries CE. Considering it is supposed to have been carried into battle, it is a miracle it is as well-preserved as it is."

Indeed, the reddish spotted markings on yellow or brown-coloured silk had clearly seen better days, being rather frayed around the edges and with several jagged tears. According to Hermione, there had been a distinct magical signature, albeit not a normal one.

"I was expecting something pretty!" Lily Potter complained."

"Well, it probably was once," Clark mused.

"A battle standard is generally fierce, not pretty, love!" Diana reminded him.

"Perhaps we should get the Blue Fairy to examine it?" Henry suggested.

"Would it have been our Enchanted Forest fairies who made it anyway?" Regina wondered.

"Probably not," the Doctor told her. "Unless your Enchanted Forest fairies are _Daoine Sìth_ , anyway. _The People of the Mounds_. The banshees of Scotland and Ireland are the most famous examples. To summon one of the more helpful _Daoine Sìth_ might help. Unless you call a malignant one, or even a Sith by mistake. Never summon a Sith without summoning a Jedi first!"

"What's a Jedi?" Albus asked.

"That," the Doctor told him, "is a tale we don't have time for here. A complex history which took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

"Now, I believe they do some very tasty clootie dumplings in the coffee shop."

Blaise Zabini was seated in his holding cell when Ron entered. "Zabini, we've spoken to Tracy Davis and Pansy Parkinson. You are charged with multiple counts of sexual assault on Ms Davis. Nott is facing an even more extensive collection of rape and sexual assault of both ladies. Given that he is a confessed murderer, however, that point is academic.

"You are not faced with charges relating to murder, use of the Unforgiveable Curses, nor even rape. If you co-operate, you may get a shortened jail term.

"With that in mind, how do you remove that tracking charm from Hermione?"

Zabini told him. Once he had finished, the wizard commented: "I'm actually looking forward to having my memories altered. That lion…"

"Finally!" Hermione exulted. "That charm has gone! Now I don't have to worry about leading some very nasty people to the remaining few items on Kingsley's list!

"What are you serving tonight, Ginny?"

"What do you think? Haggis, or vegetarian haggis for the non-carnivores, or squeamish!"

"Gee!" Henry Mills complained. "Just because some people don't regard pigs' blood and sheep's lung as delicacies…"

Author's Note:

There actually is a Fairy Flag in Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, with two versions of the legend as described. I have actually seen it. Whether or not it has any actual fairy origins or indeed can summon a fairy army I cannot say.


	7. Chapter 6: Balls and Thorns

"Once we have used the floo to wish Neville a Happy Birthday we can depart for Wales," Harry announced the following day. "Apparently there are further technological-magical artefacts in a small village a couple of miles south of Porthmadog. Somethings called "Rover"?"

James Bond and Emma Peel exchanged glances. "It wouldn't be described as a large white bouncing ball alongside three smaller ones, would it?" the latter asked.

"If so, that gives us more reason to stick around," Bond agreed. He turned to Joe, Modesty and Willie. "You all know John Drake?"

" _The Village_?" Modesty asked in horror.

Joe turned to the others. "John Drake is a senior secret agent. He once tried to resign, but he ended up being abducted and taken to The Village, a facility on the North Wales coast. There he was treated to a whole host of psychological tortures in an attempt to extract his reasons for resigning. The Rovers were sort of guard dogs, only in the form Auntie Emma described. Eventually, John Drake escaped and The Village was abandoned. I didn't know there was any magic involved in creating the Rovers."

"Well, it has a magical signature, apparently," Hermione pointed out. "Maybe a wizard was working with British Intelligence? If it wasn't obvious they were involved in espionage or counter-espionage, we might not have dug too deeply. When was this anyway?"

"The late 1960s," Emma informed her.

"Ah, the calm before the storm of Voldemort's first rise! The Ministry would have had no interest in the Cold War and a few witch or wizard spies may have gone unnoticed, particularly if there was no evidence of overt magic use on or around muggles."

"Well, what do we do about Rover?" Ron asked. Should we take that robot with us? Metal Mickey?"

"I wouldn't," Zee muttered. "From what my father told me, Mickey would activate Rover by mistake. Being chased around the Welsh coastline by a giant sentient white beach ball isn't my idea of fun."

They arrived in The Village via portkeys and quickly found the Rovers. As Joe had described, it was a giant white ball, alongside three smaller ones. The Village itself was a collection of strangely Italianate gaudily painted houses, shops, squares and gardens.

"Pretty!" sighed Lily. "I could live here, Auntie Wednesday!"

Lily Luna Potter was devoted to both her godmothers, Luna Scamander nee Lovegood and Wednesday Friday Addams. They both adored her in turn, of course, as did most people who met her. If Albus, with his messy black hair, wiry build and green eyes, was clearly his father's son, the petite redhead with brown eyes was a miniature of her mother. She also had Ginny's vivacious manner, sparkling sense of humour and, when called for, fiery temper.

She was, however, at a disadvantage when it came to examining the town's skyline. Millicent, seeing her difficulty, picked her up and carried her for a couple of minutes before gently placing her back down. Lily hugged Millicent's legs tightly. "Thank you, Auntie Millicent!"

Millicent, surprised, knelt down and returned the embrace. "Anytime, littl'un!"

"So," Harry announced with a grin, "you are an adopted Potter-Weasley now, Millicent! One of many we seem to have acquired over the years."

"My friends and family call me Millie, Harry!"

"Auntie Millie!" shouted a gleeful Lily. Millicent picked her up and pecked her cheek. She knew that, whilst Tracy was protected (as the long-term girlfriend of Daphne Greengrass, once she was accepted by the Greengrass patriarch and his son-in-law the Malfoy heir, she was untouchable), chances are that she and Pansy would be disowned from their families as "tainted goods". Sure, she was bullied, rather than sexually assaulted or worse, but the stigma would be there. No "respectable pureblood" would want anything to do with her. Well, Harry and Ginny Potter were worth considerably more than that creep Nott! Daphne would ensure that the Greengrasses would provide jobs and a place of safety if needed, too.

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione were putting the finishing touches to reapplying the security spells. "I wonder how they work?" Ron mused.

"I wouldn't recommend finding out!" Bond commented drily.

"Indeed, James!" A tall man in a dark grey suit emerged from one of the buildings. "I still keep my headquarters in Number Six. No-one will be catalogued, indexed or _numbered_ here ever again. They never got their information, by hook or by crook! I AM NOT A NUMBER; I AM A FREE MAN!"

"Good to see you, John!" Bond said, shaking his hand. "What they did to you… At least, David Callan chose to set himself up with a new identity when he retired. Robert McCall, wasn't it?"

John Drake nodded and touched the larger Rover. "You deserved better masters, old friend. We both did!

"What are you after?"

"Just ensuring no witch or wizard decides to use Rover in one of their schemes!" Bond told him. "They are partly magical apparently."

Drake sighed. " _They_ would try anything. Well, can't stop to chat!" He then shaped his left thumb and forefinger into a circle and raised that hand to his face in salute. "Be seeing you!" he called, before he ended the salute and walked away.

"Poor man," Willie noted. "This place has sent him doolally!"

"No, Willie-love," Modesty said softly, "that is what allowed him to keep his sanity. Let's leave this place. It gives me the creeps! Where next, Harry?"

"Glastonbury Abbey, Modesty. There is an offshoot of the Glastonbury thorn there. It has a magical trace."

Glastonbury Abbey had once been the seat of Saint Dunstan, the most powerful man in England in his day. By the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, it was said that if the Abbot of Glastonbury could marry the Abbess of Shaftesbury Convent, they would be the richest couple in all England. Thomas Cromwell's men, however, had practically destroyed the place. Now even the great church was a ruin, although services were often held in the crypt.

"What would this place have been like at its peak?" Emma Swan wondered.

"A medieval monastery, full of monks and scholars," the Doctor said. "What priceless manuscripts were lost…? The church was a great glory of civilisation. What was Henry thinking?"

"Or what part of his anatomy was he thinking with?!" Hermione muttered.

"We came to see a thorn tree!" Regina reminded them.

"Oh yes," the Doctor nodded. "According to the legend, Joseph of Arimathea was a relative of Jesus, his uncle or great-uncle I believe. When Jesus was a boy, Joseph was said to have brought him here, in his capacity as a tin merchant. Later, Joseph returned with the Chalice used at the Last Supper, in which he had collected drops of his nephew's blood after taking him down from the cross. The grail was supposedly buried by Chalice Well and he set up a small church where we are now.

"Back then, Glastonbury was a series of islands in a marsh. On one of these, Wearyall Hill, Joseph grew tired and planted his staff. It took root and became a thorn tree, which would only bloom at Easter and Christmas. There were three trees on Wearyall Hill, of which the last was cut down by a zealous Puritan during the Protectorate. Some saplings, however, had been preserved elsewhere, most notably this one in the abbey grounds. A cutting is traditionally sent to the monarch on Christmas Day.

"These days, Glastonbury is associated with Arthuriana, Wicca and a so-called music festival. For the record, no Arthur was buried here. That was a 12th Century con job to get more money for rebuilding after a fire. There is no Glastonbury Zodiac save in the minds of the deluded. And whatever most of that racket is, it isn't music!"

Clark Kent smiled. "A certain mutual friend has gone home. He would approve!" With the end of a direct threat, Batman had gone back to Gotham. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne were close friends and Superman was as close to Batman as anyone else, but even he found the vigilante's grumpiness got on his nerves sometimes.

"The main Arthur was taken to Avalon," Will chimed in, "where he lives still. There were other "Great Bears" among the "Head Dragons", one of whom was killed by Morgana, some sort of witch?"

"Depends which Morgana," said the Doctor. "That Morgana and Mordred were extra-dimensional beings, hence my involvement."

"So, _Arthur_ and _Pendragon_ were titles, too?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, _Uther Pendragon_ was the _Terrible Head Dragon_ and _Vortigern_ the _Great Ruler_. In the same way, the _Hooded Man_ title was passed to a succession of Anglo-Norman outlaws in the Late Middle Ages, one of whom was the Robin Hood I met. Hence all that confusion over whether Robin Hood, Robin of Locksley or Robert Earl of Huntingdon was his real name. There were three Robin Hoods, two other Robins from Locksley and a Robert Earl of Huntingdon. As well as several others not connected to either place nor even called Robert, Rob or Robin!"

"The holder of the _Hooded Man_ title had to be chosen by, and adopted as a son of, Herne the Hunter," Will noted. "Pendragon was hereditary, or could be. Bran technically held the title for a time as the son of the Arthur and grandson of the Uther.

"The Wiccans are right to a degree. This is a crossroads between a number of ley lines. Stonehenge, Avebury and a number of churches built on earlier worship sites are reasonably close. The South and West are powerful places. Stubborn, rugged people come from there…"

"I wouldn't," Ron remarked, "describe Ginny as rugged!"

"Good job you make up for it then!" his sister retorted.

After checking the security spells on the tree and the other major saplings, the group found a teashop to have a proper cream tea. Thick cheese scones were served, with thick strawberry jam and clotted cream and pots of Earl Grey, Darjeeling and English Breakfast. Once they had finished, it was off to the Giant's Ring at Ballynahatty, on the outskirts of Belfast.

"What is this place, Auntie Hermione?" Lily asked. "Whenever I ask Mummy and Daddy, they say the only thing from History of Magic they remember is the sleeping!"

"I don't think we covered muggle monuments, Lily" Hermione admitted, "although this feels early. It is Stone Age, yes?"

"Neolithic, or New Stone Age, yes," the Doctor confirmed. "About 49 centuries old, so very Ancient. It is a circular earthwork containing a small passage tomb.

"The earthwork has five "gaps", three of which appear to be intentional and may well be the original entrances and exits."

"Well, old Binns was wrong, if he thought this place was muggle!" Ron pointed out. "The capstone has a magical signature."

A few charms later and their work was done. "Now," Millicent said cheerfully, "there must be a pub nearby. I could murder a Guinness!"

"Or a Coke, for those not 18!" Hermione added hastily. "Or another drink for non-Guinness drinkers!"

Later that evening, Harry escorted Millicent Bulstrode to the Ministry of Magic's holding cells. "Pansy might like to see a friendly face."

Pansy Parkinson quickly hugged her friend when they entered her cell. "Millie, Millie, it was awful! They know that I was… They used the _R_ word! I'm ruined!"

"It's alright, Pansy, the Greengrasses, Weasleys and Potters have all assured me they will support and protect us. If our families won't accept us because of any scandal, quite frankly they are NOT worthy to be our families!

"We didn't ask to be bullied. Neither you nor Tracy asked to be _violated_. If they wish to blame Crabbe, Goyle and Nott, let them. Otherwise, sod 'em!"

Pansy chuckled despite herself. "That's my friend Millie! Pugnacious, combative and with a heart as big as she is! Why you weren't sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff is beyond me."

"I'm too big a personality – stop snickering, both of you! – for Hufflepuff. The hat did seriously think about Gryffindor, but someone who would let herself be bullied into doing bad things isn't brave."

"On the contrary," Harry said softly, "you were brave enough, once you saw what you _were_ becoming, to change into what you are _now_ becoming. If Nott, Zabini and the rest only saw you as an ugly desperate girl who could be easily bullied into doing their dirty work, _sod 'em_! They were the truly ugly ones!

"Now, Ms Parkinson, here is your witness statement from earlier. Sign it and we can get Goyle locked away. Nott's a confessed murderer, used the killing curse on a muggle. He won't be leaving Azkaban after his trial. Zabini is facing a few years there, too. You can be free to go. Some friends of mine run a place specialising in protecting abused females. Millie, Tracy and Daphne are all going there in a few days' time. You could spend a few weeks there with them."

"Thank you, Mr Potter," Pansy said. "To think I nearly handed you to _Him_ … You are a good man."

She signed the papers. Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis came and collected a released Pansy. It was decided she was as much a victim of Crabbe, Nott and Goyle as anyone. Hermione Weasley was already proposing new laws to ensure nothing of the kind happened again. Horace Slughorn hadn't been keeping a sufficient eye on his charges during Severus Snape's headmastership and the Carrows had been the _de facto_ heads of Slytherin. Nott and his cronies were encouraged to put the Slytherin girls in their proper places. Well, Hermione was on the warpath!

"Just two items to go and then we can have a proper holiday," Harry said once he was back home.

"We can do them tomorrow, before your joint birthday party with Neville in the evening," Hermione agreed. "Where are they?"

"Edinburgh Castle and the Tower of London," Harry told her.

Author's Note

The Giants Ring and the Glastonbury Thorn (and Abbey) are genuine. The legends described regarding Glastonbury are the traditional ones. I hasten to add that I have a higher opinion of Wicca practitioners than the Doctor. As with the Fairy Flag, I do not imply that the real thorn trees and capstone are magical or otherwise.


	8. Chapter 7: Welcome, Sisters!

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most iconic places in the world. Standing proud on top of the Castle Rock, a fortress has stood on the site for at least 18 centuries. Whilst most of the surviving buildings date back to the late 16th Century and later, it still resounds with the past.

"We are heading for the Crown Room," Harry said, "which holds the Honours of Scotland: The Crown, Sceptre and Sword of State."

"We saw those when in Edinburgh last year," Henry Mills noted. "One of them is magical?"

"No," Hermione replied, "but something else in there is."

" _An Lia Fàil_ ," the Doctor finished, "the Stone of Scone, or the Scone of Destiny. An oblong slab of red sandstone that was kept in Scone Abbey near Perth, it was traditionally what Scots monarchs sat on at their coronations. It was taken to Westminster Abbey in 1296 by Edward I as spoils of war during the Wars of Independence. Old Longshanks built a special Coronation Chair on which all subsequent English monarchs have been crowned. Even after James VI of Scotland became James I of England at the Union of Crowns in 1603, the Stone remained in Westminster Abbey, although it was stolen and returned in 1950.

"Wanting to end Scottish Nationalist grumblings, it was transferred here in 1996. Not that it did John Major's government much good, since the Conservatives lost all their Scottish seats in 1997! Whilst the Stone will be taken back to Westminster Abbey for Coronations, it will otherwise remain here.

"There were legends it could speak the name of the next king and that it was an earlier stone with similar powers brought from Tara in Ireland. Indeed, it is even said to be the stone on which the Jewish Patriarch Jacob had his "stairway to heaven" dream. Since the current stone was clearly quarried in Scotland, this is highly unlikely!

"I always assumed it was a block of Scottish sandstone with a cross etched on the front and a metal ring attached to each side to assist with carrying. There's even a number of stories saying that the monks at Scone hid the real Stone before Longshanks' men got their grubby little hands on it or that the 1950 thieves arranged for a fake one to be returned to London. Apparently, this Stone is magical, so who knows?"

They reached the Crown Room and discretely performed the by-know familiar checks and set the new security spells. "Now," said Ron, "who's for Edinburgh Castle Rock?"

There are few spots on Earth sadder than the Tower of London. Sure, it had been a fortress, a palace, an armoury, a barracks and even a menagerie, and was were the Crown Jewels were kept safe. It had, however, been a prison and many were the poor souls who were executed either in the Tower or, much more usually, on Tower Hill nearby. Some of them linger on. Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, the Countess of Salisbury, the Duke of Northumberland, the Princes in the Tower and countless others still "reside" there (although Anne would stress she rarely walked the Bloody Tower with or without her hear tucked under her arm). That poor jester Jack Point was known to show up too, still singing of the Merryman and his Maid nearly five centuries after dying of a broken heart. "He clearly wasn't a Gryffindor!" was Anne Boleyn's considered opinion.

Anne Boleyn knew many of the visitors and turned up to greet them. As a Gryffindor with Slytherin tendencies, Harry and Ginny Potter were obvious favourites. She also recognised Regina and Diana as royalty and the Doctor as her son-in-law. "It's good to see you all again! Scaring schoolchildren is fun, but something different adds variety."

"You could," Hermione suggested, "always try moving on, Your Majesty?!"

"Yes, but I might meet _him_!" Anne still was understandably annoyed with Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and just about anyone else involved in her downfall, apart from the Duke of Somerset. If you couldn't share a joke with the man buried next to you, you shouldn't be haunting the Tower of London! She wondered whether Katherine of Aragon was still haunting Kimbolton Castle. Maybe she should visit? Once the slanging match was out of the way, she was sure she could convince her predecessor in that dread rollcall to join her and Katherine Howard in making fun of their mutual ex at every opportunity.

"He's at Windsor, with Elizabeth, Charles I and George III," Harry told her. "He's still limping from his ulcerous leg!"

"Great! Can he still feel enough pain?"

"A woman after my own heart!" Regina approved. "Now, what are we here to see?"

"The _Koh-i-Noor_ diamond in the Queen Mother's Crown," Ron said.

"Ah, yes, one of the Crown Jewels?"

"Exactly!" the Doctor agreed. "It powers a mean laser. Or it did in Queen Victoria's day, anyway.

"So that legend about it being cursed so that any male who wears it suffers misfortune has a basis in fact, then?"

"It would seem so."

"Did you ever wear it?" Regina asked the phantom queen.

"No, it was brought here from India over three centuries after my _unfortunate demise_. Most of the Crown Jewels from _my_ lifetime were melted for scrap by Oliver Cromwell's lot. Honestly, he was as much a vandal as his distinguished forebear Thomas. There are no words in the English language vile enough to describe _that_ man… But you all know my opinion of him already!"

Before long, the crown's security spells had been checked and renewed. The Busman's Holiday was completed.

A massive birthday party was held at 12 Grimmauld Place for Harry's 36th Birthday and for Neville's the day before. Seemingly everywhere you went was a prominent individual. Kingsley Shacklebolt was talking to Minerva McGonagall, the Addams siblings were talking to Luna Scamander and Zee was talking shop with Wanda Maximoff. Regina was dancing with her husband Robin Hood and Emma with her long-time partner Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones. Lois was holding Lara whilst her spouses were busy arranging with the Slytherin girls for their stay on Themyscira. Daphne Greengrass was coming along to support Tracy Davis (and because the life-partners wanted to be together). Millicent, with her tall, muscular build and willingness to use her fists instead of her wand, was really looking forward to training with the Amazons. She would be, Diana told her, a natural!

At the centre of the chaos as always were the children. With Henry, Ava, Joe, Chloe, Teddy Lupin (who had been at an Auror training camp), the other Weasley cousins and the Scamander twins also present, it was noisy. Lily was her usual charming self. Aware that her kindly new "Auntie Millie" would be going away to Themyscira the following day, she was spending as much time with her as possible. It was equally clear from the way Millie was regularly stooping to lift the girl into her arms that she was getting used to having a surrogate niece. Indications were that she and Pansy were being disowned. Well, as she had told her friend, _sod 'em_! As far as she was concerned, Daphne, Tracy, Pansy and the Potters were all the family she needed!

"So, looking forward to tomorrow?" Ginny asked her.

"Very much so, Ginny," Millie told her. She stooped to hug her hostess. "Thank you for being so kind. You and Harry are angels!"

Harry came up to them. As Millie hugged him tightly, he said "You were an angel bullied into falling, Millie. Now we must help you soar again!

"I've spoken to Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur and the rest of the clan. You are a Weasley-Potter, whatever the Bulstrodes decide. We don't disown victims for being spoiled goods, not that we see you as such."

"Thank you both for everything!" Millie grinned.

At that moment, Jack came up. "So have you two Potters seen sense and decided to learn what I can do with a stopwatch yet?"

"I dread to think," Millie told him, "which orifice you stick one up!"

The following day, it was time for many of the group to depart. M was sending James Bond to Syria, Emma Peel was joining John Steed, Tara King and Mike Gambit in investigating some scientists who had died inexplicably and Sam, Joe and Mac were off to Greece to take on opium smugglers. Will and Susan had wedding preparations to arrange, as well as to ensure Susan's records now said she was 60ish, not pushing ninety. He was looking forward to introducing her to his family and friends. Susan was enjoying the opportunity to be "eighty-plus with my friends, about sixty with Will in public and twenty with him in the bedroom." Since she said this to Emma Swan, the only answer was a raised eyebrow and a " _Seriously…?_ "

The Addamses and Zee would be staying with the Potters. Clark and Lois would be covering the trade negotiations in London for the Daily Planet, with Diana looking after Lara, once she had taken Millie and the others to Themyscira in the Invisible Jet. The Doctor, Jack (and Torchwood!) and Kara were helping UNIT deal with a suspected Sontaran invasion attempt.

Millie picked Lily up and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, littl'un!"

"Bye, Auntie Millie! Come back soon!"

Millie hugged Lily's brothers and parents before boarding the Invisible Jet. After Diana had kissed Lara's forehead and Clark and Lois' lips, she joined the Slytherin alumni in the Jet and set off for Themyscira.

Late September 2016

There was a hustle about the Temple of the Six Goddesses in Themyscira. Today would see Pansy, Tracy, Daphne and Millie become full honorary Amazons. They would depart for London the following day.

Diana and her younger sister Donna approached Millie who was sparring with some guardswomen. She had quickly proved a skilled fighter and strategist, as well as a big-hearted friend to all. Per the Sybil of the Six Goddesses, they had something special planned for her.

"Come with us into the Temple, Millie," Diana instructed her. "It is time to learn your destiny!"

As Harry, Albus and James (on weekend release from Hogwarts) were all considered to be "Blessed of the Goddesses", they had the right to step foot on Themyscira. So they were in the Temple, alongside Joe (who was visiting Chloe), Roy "Arsenal" Harper (Donna's long-term lover) and Clark (who was not regarded as a mortal man and was a Prince of Themyscira), plus Ginny, Lily, Kara, Lois and Lara.

Queen Hippolyta began the ceremony. "Approach, sisters!"

Harry and Ginny turned around. Four figures clad in white dresses that left all the arms and most of the legs exposed and with laurel wreaths holding their hair back approached the altar. Daphne and Tracy were holding hands and looked happy to be in a place where Sapphic relations were normal (Clark was the only male who spent a great deal of time on the island and Diana had made it clear that he and Lois were off-limits!). Pansy, smiling, seemed peaceful and serene. Then there was a tanned and toned, tall and buxom dark-haired figure, positively beaming at them. "The ugly duckling has become the swan!" Harry told Ginny.

"And _what a swan_!" his wife agreed. "If only Nott, Zabini and co could see her now! She's perfectly the right shape for her height. There's no unnecessary fat on her!"

"I doubt there ever really was much," Harry replied. "Her Hogwarts robes and usual witch attire didn't flatter her figure at all. That dress does!"

Lily meanwhile had spotted the party. "Auntie Millie!" she cried, darting from her seat towards the four new Amazons before her parents could stop her. Everyone started, as this was not part of the ceremony! Millie, however, picked the girl up and pecked her cheek. "I've missed you, littl'un!"

"I've missed you too, Auntie Millie!"

They had reached the altar and the four women were declared Amazons. "Welcome, sisters! Now," Hippolyta announced to the onlookers, "Our new sister Millicent has been blessed greatly by the Six Goddesses. It seems the World of Men needs another Champion. Go with our blessing and those gifts the Goddesses gave you!"

Author's Note

Yes, the Stone of Scone and the Koh-I-Noor exist. No, I don't know if they are actually magical.


	9. Epilogue: Champion!

Late October 2016.

Harry groaned. "Dung Fletcher has started using muscular, powerful wizards to loot Diagon Alley! All Aurors to leave immediately!" As his team began to leave, he discretely winked at the tall woman with her dark hair in a ponytail that served as the archivist for the department's records. Millie winked back, before she Apparated to a flat roof overlooking Diagon Alley. She then began to spin rapidly to the right…

Dung Fletcher and his men saw the Aurors and began to flee when a black-clad figure _flew_ down. "Cripes!" Dung yelled. "It's _Wonder Witch_!"

Wonder Witch landed gracefully on her feet, before raising an eyebrow at the fleeing thieves. She wore black armour decorated with white astrological symbols over her torso and flanks, with a short skirt attached. Most of her upper legs were bare, with knee-length high-heeled boots covering the lower. Her upper arms were also uncovered, but she wore large golden bracelets from her wrists almost to her elbows. A golden tiara with a Caduceus symbol in the centre held her long hair back, to match the Caduceus wand in a holster on her golden belt, alongside a lasso and a large sword in a scabbard. A bronzed hoplon shield hung across her back. Her skin, as bronzed as the shield, glistened in the sunlight. Harry grinned to himself. _Who would have guessed Millicent Bulstrode would be one of the greatest pin-ups in our world?! Now Nott would try it on with her – and get castrated with that sword!_

Some of the thugs tried to cast curses at her face. Her arms moved with unbelievable speed, deflecting the spells with her bracelets. _It was a good job Hephaestus included shield charms in them powerful enough to even deflect the killing curse._ She then ran at two of the gang, lifting each one with one hand apiece before knocking their heads together and throwing them some feet away. Wonder Witch then drew her wand with one hand and her sword with other. A few stunning spells and whacks with the flat of the sword later and all Harry and his team had to do was mop up the stragglers.

Dung, however, had ducked out of the way and was about to Apparate far away when a lariat encircled and tightened around him. "Now," Wonder Witch purred, "you must answer all my questions and do so truthfully, Mr Fletcher."

"So," Harry interjected, "whilst you have the right to remain silent, it is irrelevant…"

Once Dung's statement had been taken and he was released into Auror custody, Wonder Witch smiled at Harry. "See you soon!" she called as she flew off. Landing on a rooftop, she began to spin rapidly again and with a vortex, a blinding flash and a thunderclap, was Millie once more. She apparated back to her records before anyone noticed she had gone.

 _Hello, this is Rex Milligan reporting for The Quibbler. Today I am interviewing Wonder Witc_ h. _I have never had so many wizards in my office in Diagon Alley, as when I said she was coming today. She arrived right on time. You don't need me to describe her, as I've yet to see a wizard house that does not have her poster on the wall. For someone who only emerged in the last month or so, she has made quite an impact._

 _RM: "So, Wonder Witch, why are you here?"_

 _WW: "I have come as an envoy from the Amazons to the British wizards and witches. It is my duty to promote Truth, Justice and the British Magical Way!"_

 _RM: "You have clearly met Superman and Supergirl then?! I assume you know Wonder Woman, Troia and Wonder Girl?_

 _WW: Yes, they are all good friends of mine. As an Amazon, Wonder Woman, Troia and Wonder Girl are my sisters in all but blood! Kara Zor-El and Kal-El are both honorary Amazons._

 _RM: "Is there a Mr Wonder Witch or do your admirers stand a chance?!_

 _WW (laughing): "Sorry, chaps, I'm spoken for!" [Much groaning from the bystanders!]_

 _RM: So, are you here for the long-term?_

 _WW: Very much so! I have the full support of the White Council, the Ministry of Magic and the muggle security, intelligence and law-enforcement organisations. So, beware evil-doers!"_

Millie snuggled up to Pansy on a settee in the Potter lounge. The two had started dating on Themyscira and were very happy together. Pansy admitted to herself that she could never let a man touch her _like that_ again. Millie, however, was a sensitive lover and her closest friend. The two girls were now arranging to tie the knot in a ceremony on Themyscira. Despite only being together a few weeks, they both knew this was True Love. Lily was inked in as Millie's bridesmaid and Ginny her matron of honour. Daphne and Tracy were planning on marrying too, although they would be wed at Greengrass Manor.

"Auntie Millie, Auntie Pansy," Lily shouted in delight, "thank you for that signed Wonder Witch poster. It looks great on my wall. I promise to say it was Wonder Witch and not Auntie Millie who signed it!"

"I know you wouldn't, littl'un!" Millie said, lifting Lily onto the settee. "Actually, we were thinking of trying that muggle IVF thing Regina keeps talking about. Harry, would you be the S.P.E.R.M. donor? You and Ginny will be playing a full role in the upbringing of our children. Lily will be a great big sister, won't you littl'un?!"

"Of course, Auntie Millie. Now, how long is it before I become your sidekick…?"

Author's Note:

Thank you as always to Model Builder for his encouragement and particularly for spotting my faux pas with the Slytherin colours in the original version of Chapter Two.

This was something of a pet project for me. As a long-term lover of many of the franchises (yes, even Metal Mickey, as badly dated as it now is), this was an opportunity to play with them, as well as play with the Glastonbury, Fairy Flag and other legends.

In most HP/Tudors crossovers I have seen, Anne Boleyn is a Slytherin. Well, she was ambitious, yes, but also impetuous, fiery and able to face death and disgrace with courage. She strikes me as more Fire than Water!

You will be seeing more of the wizard world's new superheroine in due course. I thought as I was writing her scenes in Chapters Three and Four that Millicent Bulstrode was Amazonian in build and the story quickly went in a direction I had never planned. Well, I'm glad it did! Wonder Witch is very much in my toolbox now!


End file.
